UU200 ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE COURSE OUTLINE

1. SEMESTER/YEAR: Semester 2, 2022

2. MODE OF DELIVERY/LOCATION: ONLINE MODE, All campuses except Laucala

3. PRE-REQUISITES: UU100 and UU114; must complete 6 X 100 level courses in total

4. COORDINATOR: Ms. Fulori Manoa

5. FACILITATORS

Ms. Fulori Manoa Dr. Margaret Mishra

Office: S014-104, SoLaSS, Laucala Campus Office: S014-208, SoLaSS, Laucala Campus
Phone: 3232869 Phone: 3232552
Email: fulori.manoa@usp.ac.fj Email: margaret.mishra@usp.ac.fj
Office Hours: Mon, Wed & Fri 11am – 12pm Office Hours: Mon, Tues & Fri 10am – 11am

6. LECTURE INFORMATION

WELCOME VIDEO ON MOODLE: Please watch the introductory video on Moodle. The facilitators
will introduce themselves to you and explain how the course will be structured.

LECTURE RECORDINGS
Students enrolled in the Online mode should view the WEEKLY lectures already available on Moodle.
Please ensure that you view the lectures every week. Lectures have been uploaded in the Unit Lecture
Videos and Readings folders on Moodle.

UU200 ONLINE MODE ZOOM TUTORIALS

There will be ZOOM TUTORIALS held every fortnight. You will be able to sign up for your Zoom
Tutorial on Moodle. Tutorials will also be conducted in the evenings to cater for working students.

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND THE IN-PERSON FORTNIGHTLY TUTORIALS THAT MAY

OCCUR AT YOUR CAMPUS. Those tutorials are for Blended Mode students.

NOTE: You will need a stable internet connection and access to a PC or Tablet to complete this
course.

ONLINE FACILITATOR: Once you have been assigned a group, you may be assigned an online
facilitator. Your facilitator should always be your first point of contact for any query about the course. If
your facilitator is unable to address your query, they will consult one of the course coordinators for
advice. If your facilitator does not respond to your email after 48 working hours (this does not

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include the weekends), please write to them again and copy the course coordinator into this
exchange.

COURSE OUTLINE: Carefully read the course outline. Everything you need to know about the course
is clearly stated here.

7. EMERGENCY CONTACT
If you are unable to get in touch with your facilitator or the course coordinator and have an urgent query,
please contact:

Ms Birisita Kedavata
Clerical Assistant, School of Law and Social Sciences (SoLaSS)
The University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.
Office: S014-102, Phone: 3232458,
Email: birisita.kedavata@usp.ac.fj

8. COURSE DESCRIPTION
This university course offers an exploratory and interdisciplinary insight into ethics and governance. It
introduces students to ethical theories and philosophies (in terms of virtues, consequences and duties)
and links these to the structures of governance, in particular, self, political, corporate, regional and global
governance. This theoretical framework is then used to delve into the fascinating and controversial field
of ‘applied ethics’, ranging through the law, corporate and workplace ethics, social justice issues and
controversial ethical dilemmas. Students will be encouraged to think critically, develop self-awareness
and make responsible ethical decisions in personal, professional and applied contexts.

9. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
 debate key questions and controversies in the field of applied ethics relevant to Pacific Island and
global affairs;
 communicate ideas about ethical theories, philosophies, traditions and issues;
 analyse contemporary governance issues using ethical reasoning;
 conduct research on ethics and governance issues in national, regional and global arenas; and
 apply ethical reasoning to real-life scenarios and professional contexts.

10. USP GRADUATE OUTCOMES

The USP graduate outcomes are as follows:
 Communication: graduates will be able to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively in
structured formats using language and other modes of communication that are appropriate for
context, audience and specific disciplinary conventions;
 Creativity: graduates will extend boundaries of current knowledge in a particular discipline;
 Critical thinking and quantitative reasoning: graduates will be able to evaluate multiple
perspectives and arrive at a reasonable independent judgement based on evidence;
 Ethics: graduates will demonstrate a commitment to high ethical standards in scholarly,
professional and socio-cultural practices;
 Pacific consciousness: graduates will recognize the cultural heritage and diversity of Pacific
societies for sustainable development in a contemporary environment;

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 Professionalism: graduates will demonstrate the ability to carry out tasks to acceptable standards
within their profession and occupations; and
 Teamwork: graduates will work together in a respectful and collaborative manner to complete
tasks within teams to achieve an outcome.

11. COURSE CONTENT

Week 1 - Ethics and Governance
You will be introduced to ethics and governance via short films, pictures and songs this week. Moral
dilemmas will be presented to stimulate discussion about ethical reasoning, values and choice. While the
magnitude of these dilemmas may differ, they often hinge on two questions posed by ethicists: “How
ought I to live?” and “How do I know what is right?” Underlying this is the view that the ethical life is
shaped by our interconnectedness as human beings. We will also establish a relationship between ethics,
governance and everyday life in week 1.

Week 2 - Philosophy, Religion and Virtue Ethics

Week two sets up a theoretical framework for studying ethics. We will trace the roots of ethical thought
to ancient societies and focus in particular on the work of Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle, in relation to virtue, wisdom, goodness, happiness and knowledge. We will also critique other
distinct ethical traditions or living systems that aim to teach right conduct, especially the relationship
between religion, morality and ethics. Our discussion will shift to the normative theory of virtue ethics
and concepts of habituation, self-cultivation, practical wisdom and the golden mean.

Week 3 - Consequentialism and Deontology

How should one behave? How can we justify a particular choice or behaviour? How can we know
what choice is the best one? This week focuses on theories of conduct. We will examine ethical
theories of conduct in relation to three branches of consequentialism: utilitarianism, altruism and
ethical egoism along with principles such as utility, greatest happiness, harm and cost-benefit
analysis. We will then discuss non-consequentialism or deontology in terms of moral autonomy, the
formula of humanity, universal law, social responsibility and rationality of rules, rights and duties.
Week 4 - Governance and Ethics
In week 4, we will define governance and stress the importance of making and implementing ‘good’ and
‘right’ decisions and policies. We will discuss various approaches to governance (for example, self,
family, community, democratic, national, regional, corporate, and global governance). Principles of good
governance, namely, accountability, transparency, responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness, equality
and inclusiveness, rule of law, and participation and consensus are also explained. We will then discuss
the complex interconnection between ethics and governance. An emphasis will be placed on political
governance, democracy, and the National Integrity System (NIS) and its role in a governance system.

Week 5 - The Law and Justice

We will examine the relationship between the law, governance and the notion of the ‘common good’.
We will consider concepts such as justice, equality and Human Rights (stressed in the United Nations
Declaration of Human Rights) and examine how these are challenged by the theory of Cultural
Relativism. You are encouraged to reflect on some important questions such as: Are all laws are ethical?
Do we have an ethical duty to challenge unjust laws? Once we have established a broad understanding
of morality and legality, we will concentrate specifically on examples from the Pacific to highlight
clashes between customary and western laws.

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Week 6 & 7 – Environmental Ethics and Climate Change
We will consider some approaches to environmental ethics, namely anthropocentrism, extensionism and
biocentrism. Key concepts we will discuss are Eco-justice, Global Citizenship, Global Environment
Governance (GEG) and The Earth Charter. A pressing question that we will pose is: “How ought we to
live with the earth?” Anthropocentric and Extensionist theories will then be related to animal ethics. WE
will also examine some ethical dilemmas that complicate the climate change debate, for example, how
can we balance the responsibilities of the developed and developing world and how should we assess our
responsibility to future generations who will live with a climate that we are shaping today. An emphasis
will be placed on ethical issues of fairness and responsibility across individuals, nations, generations, and
the rest of nature.

Week 8 - Corporate Governance and Business Ethics

In week 8, we will introduce you to concepts related to corporate governance and business ethics.
Promoting ethical decision-making, maintaining integrity in financial reporting, recognising and
managing risks, and respecting the rights of the shareholders are some of the concerns highlighted. The
devastating impact of corporations on the environment will also be examined here. We will then explore
ethical concerns arising from commercial advertisements such as: the use of deception in advertisements,
advertising to children, tobacco and alcoholic beverage advertisements, negative political advertising,
and advertisements that discriminate on the basis of gender and ethnicity.

Week 9: Prejudice, Discrimination and Human Rights

We will discuss the relationship between ethics and community, national and global governance with
regards to discriminatory practices on the basis of social markers. Some forms of discrimination
considered this week include: racism, sexism and homophobia. You will be asked to reflect on these
unjust practices and identify ways of combating discrimination in your society. The importance of
ratifying human rights treaties is highlighted as we delve into the theoretical-ethical foundations of the
key articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Week 10: Bioethics

Controversial ethical issues are public debates that arise from heated contestations around a range of
issues. We will journey through the fascinating world of medicine and science. Bioethics and national
governance (especially discussions on legislation and morality) will be examined in the lectures this
week. The field of medical ethics, surrounded by numerous ethical controversies, will be analysed in
light of several highly contested issues: abortion, IVF technology and euthanasia. You will be asked to
establish and defend your personal stance on these issues.

Week 11: War, Terrorism and Capital Punishment

The duty of the state in relation to highly controversial issues such as war, terrorism and capital
punishment will be evaluated this week. We will reflect critically on these questions: Are wars ever
ethically justified? Is it ethical to torture a terrorist to extract vital information that could save the lives
of many other people? We will also consider whether death is the proper punishment for murder or if
criminals should be given a second chance? In particular, we focus on the deontological view with regard
to capital punishment.

Week 12: Self-Governance and Responsibility

How do we live a life of integrity, happiness, responsibility, achievement, and success? In week 12, we
stress again that ethics training is life-long and requires the cultivation of moral values and habits. We
will relook at definitions of 'good' and 'bad' based on different ethical perspectives, moral autonomy, self-
regulation and personal integrity in public and private life, the life of happiness, self-cultivation,
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 intellectual virtues. The Ethics of Response approach will be examined in relation to personal ethics and
self-governance. You will also be asked to map a personal decision-making model.

Week 13: Final Assessment

Complete and submit Assessment 5

12. LECTURE, TUTORIAL AND ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE

Week/ Lecture schedule CHECKLIST
Date
1 Broaching Ethics & □ View the Welcome Video
15-19 Aug Governance
□ Carefully read the Course Outline on Moodle
□ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 1 on Moodle
□ Sign up for a tutorial by Friday
2 Philosophy, Religion and □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 2 on Moodle
22-26 Aug Virtues
□ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ Acquaint yourself with your group members
3 Consequentialism and □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 3 on Moodle
29 Aug- 2 Deontology
Sept □ Study for the Online Quiz next week
4 Ethics & Governance □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 4 on Moodle
5-9 Sept
□ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ ONLINE QUIZ (10%) – Thursday 8th September
5 The Law & Ethics □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 5 on Moodle
12-16 Sept
□ Prepare for next week’s Mid-Semester Test
(Online)

6 Environmental Ethics □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 6 on Moodle

19-23 Sept
□ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ MID-SEMESTER TEST (25%) – Thursday 22nd
September, 6am to 10pm
7 Climate Change □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 7 on Moodle
26-30 Sept
□ Work on your Group Cartoon on Social Justice Issue
(15%) as a group
1-9 Oct MID-SEMESTER □ Begin drafting your Research essay
BREAK
□ Continue working on your group assessment
8 Corporate Governance □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 8 on Moodle
10-14 Oct & Business Ethics
□ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ Continue working on your Research essay

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 □SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE CARTOON (GROUP
ASSESSMENT) (15%) – Thursday 13th OCTOBER
before 11:55pm
9 Prejudice, □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 9 on Moodle
17-21 Oct Discrimination &
Human Rights □ Continue working on your Research essay
10 Bioethics □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 10 on Moodle
24-28 Oct
□ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ RESEARCH ESSAY (25%) – Thursday 27th
October, before 11.55pm
11 Capital Punishment, □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 11 on Moodle
31 Oct- 4 War, Terrorism &
Nov Torture □ Start working on Assessment 5, Part A & Part B

12 Self-Governance & □ Complete Steps 1, 2 and 3 for Unit 12 on Moodle

7-11 Nov Ethical
Decision-Making □ Attend a Zoom Tutorial
□ Continue working on Assessment 5, Part A & Part B
13 Complete Final □ FINAL ASSESSMENT (25%) – Thursday 17th
14-18 Nov Assessment November, due before 11.55pm
□ Please complete a course evaluation form, please specify
UU200 Online Mode if/when commenting.

 Coursework marks out of 75% will be released by your tutor by Sunday 20 November. Final
Assessment marks will NOT be uploaded on Moodle. They will be treated like an exam component and
added to your coursework mark. You will then have to wait for the release of grades by SAS.

13. COURSE MATERIALS

Textbook
Preston, Noel. (2014) Understanding Ethics, Fourth Edition, Sydney: The Federation Press. [This is the
4th edition of the textbook but you may use the 3rd edition if you have access to a second-hand copy.
There are not too many differences between the two versions.]

The textbook is available at the USP Book Centre and multiple copies have been placed in the different
Campus libraries. You can also find the relevant chapters in the Lecture Videos and Readings folders on
Moodle.

Moodle/Online Resources
You may be provided with a list of readings on Moodle each week to supplement the recommended
readings listed in the course outline. These readings may be useful for your assignment preparation.

Library Resources

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 A comprehensive range of reference texts are available at the Laucala Campus library for you to consult.
This list of texts, articles and online journals (titled ‘UU200 Library Resources’) is available on Moodle
with all the relevant shelf details and appropriate links beside each entry.

Moodle Access
To view the Moodle resources for UU200 (Online Mode), you need to ensure that you have access to the
ONLINE MODE Moodle page.

IF YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE UU200 ONLINE MODE MOODLE PAGE OR IF YOU HAVE
CHANGED MODES OF STUDY AND THE WRONG MOODLE PAGE IS APPEARING, YOU
NEED TO EMAIL THE COURSE COORDINATOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Note the following public holidays for Laucala campus:

7 September (Wednesday) – Constitution Day

10 October (Monday) – Fiji Day

25 October (Tuesday) – Diwali

(Tutorials will not be held on these public holidays. Your tutor will cover the content for the tutorial
missed in the class before or after. In the case of missed Week 4 Zoom Tutorials, students attending the
Wednesday Tutorial will attend a special Zoom tutorial in Week 3.)

14. WEEKLY READING LIST

The Readings below accompany the lecture and tutorial content for each week. Students must complete
ALL the weekly readings BEFORE attending the lectures and tutorials.
If you don’t complete these readings, you will struggle to pass the course.

The table below provides an outline of the weekly readings.

WEEK READINGS LOCATION

1 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter One: The Ethical Challenge” in Textbook
Understanding Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p. 6-15.
Online
BBC Ethics Guide, ‘Introduction to Ethics,’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/
2 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter Two: Encountering Ethics” in Understanding Textbook
Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p.16-33.
BBC Website, ‘Religion and Ethics’, access online at: Online
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/
3 Preston, N. (2014). “Chapter 3: Ethical Theory: An Overview” in Textbook
Understanding Ethics (4th edition), Sydney: Federation Press, p. 35-56.
Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, access online at:
http://www.iep.utm.edu/ethics/ Online

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4 Pierre, J., Peters, B. G. 2000. “Chapter 1: Different Ways to think about Moodle
Governance” in Governance, Politics and the State. MacMillan Press
Limited, Hampshire.

“National Integrity System Country Studies: Pacific Island Countries”, Moodle

access online at:
http://transparency.org.au/index.php/ourwork/resources/national-integrity-
systems-assessment/pacific-island-countries/
5 Herrera, C. “How are Law and Ethics Related” in Philosophy and Religion Moodle
Department, Montclair State University, online at: http://www-
hsc.usc.edu/~mbernste/tae.ethics&law.herrera.html
Edwords, F. “The Human Basis of Laws and Ethics” in American Online
Humanist Organisation, available online at:
http://www.americanhumanist.org/humanism/The_Human_Basis_of_Laws
_and_Ethics
6 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter 11: Environmental Ethics” in Understanding Textbook
Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p.174-189.
UNESCO, “The Earth Charter”:
http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_a/img/02_earthcharter.p Moodle
df

7 Richard Somerville, “The Ethics of Climate Change,” Online

https://e360.yale.edu/features/the_ethics_of_climate_change

8 Kolk, A. “Sustainability, Accountability and Corporate Governance: Moodle

Exploring Multinationals” in Reporting Practices:
http://dare.uva.nl/document/176314
Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter 10: Ethics in Business and the Professions” in Textbook
Understanding Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p. 158-173

Hyman, M., Tansey, R. and Clark, J. “Advertising Ethics – Past, Present

and Future, Journal of Advertising, Vol. 23, No. 3, Ethics in Advertising Moodle
(Sep., 1994), 5-15.
9 Donnelly, J. “Cultural Relativism and Universal Human Rights” in Human Moodle
Rights Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 4, (Nov. 1984), 400-419
United Nations, United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Moodle
United Nations Development Programme, NICE Project, “Know your
rights”. Moodle
10 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter 7: Life and Death” in Understanding Ethics, Textbook
Sydney: Federation Press, p. 106-126.
Kuhse, H and Singer, P. A Companion to Bioethics (Second Edition), Online
Wiley Blackwell: http://www.kilibro.com/book/preview/244595_a-
companion-to-bioethics
11 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter 8: War, Terrorism and Violence” in Textbook
Understanding Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p.127-142.
BBC Ethics Guide, “The Ethics of War”: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/ Online

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12 Preston, N. (2014) “Chapter Four: Responsible Ethical Decisions” in Textbook
Understanding Ethics, Sydney: Federation Press, p. 57-72.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Decision-Making Capacity”: Online
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/decision-capacity/

15. ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIO AND MARKING RUBRIC

The continuous assessment comprises 100% and includes FIVE pieces of assessment:
TYPE OF ASSESSMENT WEIGHT Comments/Rationale LEARNING
OUTCOME
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT - 100%

ONLINE QUIZ 10% To test an understanding of ethical 1, 2, 3 & 5

(Week 4 Online) theories and approaches to
governance
MID-SEMESTER TEST 25% To apply ethical theories and 1, 2, 3 & 5
(Week 6 Online) approaches to governance to a
current news item in the Pacific
CARTOON ON SOCIAL 15% To collectively analyse and 1, 2, 4 & 5
JUSTICE ISSUE – GROUP communicate ideas about a social
ASSESSMENT justice issue that raises ethical
(Week 8) concerns
RESEARCH ESSAY 25% To conduct research on ethics and 1, 2, 3 & 4
(Week 10) governance issues in national,
regional, global arenas
FINAL ASSESSMENT 25% To apply ethical decision- 1, 2, 3 & 5
(Week 13) making/theories to real-life situations
and issues

ALIGNMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES AND ASSESSMENT

Course Learning Outcome
1) Debate key questions
and controversies in the field
of applied ethics relevant to
Pac. Island and global affairs
2) Communicate ideas about
ethical theories, philosophies,
traditions and issues
3) Analyse contemporary
governance issues using
ethical reasoning
Associated Teaching and
Learning Activities
Questions/controversies
introduced in the lectures
and debated in the tutorials
Theories/philosophies
introduced in the lectures
and tutorials in weeks 2 and
3
Governance issues
introduced in the lectures
and tutorials in week 4
Assessment USP Graduate Outcomes
All assessments Communication, Critical
Thinking, Ethics, Pacific
Consciousness, Teamwork
All assessments Communication, Critical
Thinking, Ethics,
Teamwork
All assessments Communication, Critical
Thinking, Ethics, Pacific
Consciousness,
Professionalism, Teamwork

4) Conduct research on ethics Research conducted in own Essay and Design Creativity, Communication,
and governance issues in time for Essay and Short skit a Social Justice Critical Thinking, Ethics,
Cartoon
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 national, regional and global Pacific Consciousness,
arenas Professionalism, Teamwork

5) Apply ethical reasoning to Application of concepts All assessments Creativity, Communication,

real-life scenarios and learnt in lectures to real-life Critical Thinking, Ethics,
professional contexts scenarios in tutorials Pacific Consciousness,
Professionalism, Teamwork

IMPORTANT – REQUIREMENTS TO PASS UU200:

As UU200 comprises 100% internal assessments (no examination).

To pass the course you need to:

1) Complete ALL the assessments,

2) Obtain a minimum of 50% out of 100% in the course total, (we do not have a minimum pass
mark per assessment, just an overall pass mark) AND
3) Ensure that you DO NOT submit a plagiarised essay or cheat in the quiz, test or assessments.

Any student who scores 0 in the research essay as a result of plagiarism or collusion, or cheats in
one of the tests will automatically fail UU200. As this is an ethics course, plagiarism, collusion and
cheating WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Students who engage in such acts may also be sent to the USP
Disciplinary Committee.

Academic Misconduct and Academic Integrity Regulations

Please see the following download link for the 2022 Handbook and Calendar
https://www.usp.ac.fj/handbookandcalendar2022/

Carefully read the “Student Academic Integrity Regulations” from page 120 to 124 of the 2022
Handbook and Calendar.

“Academic misconduct occurs where students use dishonest practices (such as cheating or plagiarism)
in carrying out academic work (coursework, assignments or examinations). Minor academic offences
are dealt within the Academic Units. Serious cases are referred to the Student Disciplinary Committee,
which reports to Senate.

All written work submitted for a course, except for acknowledged quotations, must be expressed in the
student’s own words, with proper referencing of borrowed ideas. Students must not submit coursework
that has been completed dishonestly.

Plagiarism and dishonest practice in course work and examinations are serious offences for which
offenders will be penalised.

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The Academic Misconduct Regulations contained in the USP Handbook and Calendar provide the
framework for the treatment of plagiarism and dishonest practice in academic work within the
University” (page 120).

We will follow these regulations when considering academic dishonesty cases (plagiarism,
cheating and collusion), late submission of assessments, request for extensions or special
assessments and other special cases. Procedures for academic misconduct are also outlined in this
section.

Late Submission of Assessments

Assessments must be submitted by the due date. If you fail to submit an assessment by the
specified date and you have a valid reason for the late submission, please write to your facilitator
and attach relevant documentation to your email (for example a sick sheet, counselling
certificate or letter from your employer). Documentation will be vetted before a late submission is
approved.

If an assessment is submitted late without a valid reason, you will incur a penalty of 10% for each
day the assessment is late.

Research Skill Development Framework

The marking rubric adopted for UU200 assessments draws on the Research Skill Development
Framework conceptualised by John Wilson and Kerry O‟Regan.

See the following online link for more information on the RSD framework:
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/rsd/framework/Dec09_RSDFramework.pdf

The details of the FIVE compulsory assessments are as outlined in the following pages:

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 ASSESSMENT 1: SHORT QUIZ ON ETHICAL THEORIES AND GOVERNANCE (10%)

Date/Time: The Quiz Opens ONLINE on Moodle on THURSDAY 8 September (Week 4) from 2-
10pm FIJI TIME

Objective: To communicate ideas about ethics and governance in relation to real life scenarios in the
Pacific region (USP Graduate Attributes: 1, 2, 3 & 5)

Coverage: The COVERAGE for this quiz is weeks/units 1-4. This is also good preparation for your
MST.

IMPORTANT:
1. If you experience connectivity disruptions during the quiz, please take a screenshot to show
evidence of this disruption and email the evidence to your tutor. If the disruption is accepted
as a genuine one, you will be given another chance to attempt an alternative quiz.
2. If you miss the quiz for a genuine reason, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR FACILITATOR as
soon as possible. If your Facilitator does not respond within 2 working days (this excludes
weekends), then write to them again.

Format, Tips and Instructions

1. The ONLINE QUIZ will be open for FOUR hours on Thursday 8th September but once you
begin the quiz, you will only have 20 MINUTES to complete it.
2. Once you submit a response, you will not be able to go back to that question again. This is a
mechanism used for online quizzes at universities around the world to deter students from
cheating.
3. The quiz will open from 2pm-10pm FIJI TIME. You can choose any 20 minute slot within
this time span to attempt your quiz.
4. The quiz comprises 10 multiple choice questions. Pace yourself so that you can answer all 10
questions before your time runs out.
5. If you do run out of time, your answers for the questions you have attempted will be automatically
submitted.
6. The timing is strict. Moodle will not let you post later or give you extra time.
7. Do not let the fact that it is a Multiple Choice test make you think that it will be easy. You must
read the questions carefully as these will be application style questions.
8. This is an Ethics test, do not cheat. WE ARE ABLE TO CHECK WHEN STUDENTS
HAVE MULTIPLE TABS OPEN AT THE SAME TIME AND WILL BE PENALIZING
THOSE STUDENTS ACCORDINGLY. This is NOT AN OPEN-BOOK QUIZ!
Staff may randomly walk around Campus library discussion areas during the quiz time to ensure
that students are not taking the quiz together. You will be penalised if you are caught cheating or
if another student is taking the quiz for you.

RSD FACETS TESTED IN THE ONLINE/F2F QUIZ: EMBARK AND CLARIFY,

ANALYSE AND SYNTHESISE, AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE AND REFLECT

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 ASSESSMENT 2: ONLINE MID-SEMESTER TEST (MST) (25%)

Date, Time, Venue: The Mid-Semester Test will open online at 6AM ON THURSDAY 22nd
SEPTEMBER and close at 10PM on the same day. However, once you start your attempt, you
will have 100 minutes to complete it.

Objective:
To communicate ideas about ethics and governance in relation to a current news item in the Pacific
region (USP Graduate Attributes: 1, 2, 4 & 5)

Format:
You will be given one newspaper article from any USP member country. This is an application style
test. The test comprises 5 questions and each question is worth 5 marks. We have already included the
test questions below but you will not see the article until you sit the test.

Guidelines:

1. Spend about 18 minutes answering each question. This should give you 10 minutes to check your
answers at the end.

2. Provide fulsome answers – at least 5 sentences per question.

3. Try to draw on ethical theories/concepts that you have learnt and relate this knowledge to the
newspaper article. Do not cite crammed definitions or cut and paste!

4. All 5 questions will be on the one page. It will look like there is only one question but if you go
to the response box (where you will type your answers), you will see space for 5 questions there.

5. IF THERE ARE CONNECTIVITY ISSUES, TAKE A SCREENSHOT. We will only accept

screenshots that are unedited and that include the whole page.

MST QUESTIONS
1. Identify and evaluate one ethical issue in the newspaper article using the concept of ethical
interconnectedness (5 marks).

2. Evaluate the character of two people (or groups/institutions) in the article using two principles from
the theory of virtue ethics (5 marks).

3. Discuss the wrongdoing in the newspaper article (2 marks). Relate your discussion of this wrongdoing
to two principles from the theory of deontology (3 marks).

4. Outline a utilitarian’s response to the newspaper article (2 marks). Refer to at least two principles
from this theory (3 marks).

5. Analyse two approaches of governance referred to in the article (2 marks) and critically evaluate two
principles of governance that are being compromised (3 marks).

RSD FACETS TESTED IN THE MST: EMBARK AND CLARIFY, ANALYSE AND
SYNTHESISE, AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE AND REFLECT.

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 MID-SEMESTER TEST MARKING RUBRIC (25%)

TEST QUESTIONS COMMENTS AND MARKS ALLOCATED

Q1: EMBARK & CLARIFY
Identifies the ethical issue Fully Very Well Adequately Poorly No/
2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Fully Very Well Adequately Partially Poorly V. Poorly No/
Discusses issue in relation to 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
Ethical Interconnectedness 0 marks
Q2: ANALYSE &
SYNTHESISE
Evaluates Person/Group 1 using a Fully Very Well Adequately Poorly V. Poorly No/
principle from Virtue Ethics 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Evaluates Person/Group 2 using a Fully Very Well Adequately Poorly V. Poorly No/
principle from Virtue Ethics 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Q3: ANALYSE & SYNTHESISE
Relates the main issue to the theory Fully Very Well Adequately Partially No/
of deontology 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Refers to principles of deontology Refers to 2 Refers to 2 Refers to 2 Refers to 1 Refers to 1 Very poor No/
or more or more or more or more or Ref. to Cheating
principles principles principles principle more principles 0 marks
very well well adequately adequately principle 0.5 marks
3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks poorly
1 mark
Q4: ANALYSE & SYNTHESISE
Relates the main issue to the theory Fully Very Well Adequately Partially No/
of Utilitarianism 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Refers to principles of Refers to 2 Refers to 2 Refers to 2 Refers to 1 Refers to 1 Very poor No/
Utilitarianism or more or more or more or more or Ref. to Cheating
principles principles principles principle more principles 0 marks
very well well adequately adequately principle 0.5 marks
3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks poorly
1 mark
Q5: CRITICALLY EVALUATE

Evaluates two approaches to Fully Very Well Adequately Partially Poorly No/
governance 2 marks 1.75 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
Evaluates two principles of Fully Very Well Adequately Partially Poorly V. Poorly No/
governance 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks Cheating
0 marks
FINAL COMMENTS AND
MARKS

14
 ASSESSMENT 3: “ETHICAL” CARTOON ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE (15%)

Due date: Thursday 13 October, 11.55pm (Week 8 – after the mid-semester break)

THIS IS A GROUP ASSESSMENT.

Objective: To communicate ideas about ethics and governance in relation to the marketing and
advertising (USP Graduate Attributes: 1, 2, 4 & 5)

Groups: This is a group activity (around 7 students per group). Groups will be confirmed
by week 4 at the latest. Group Messaging will be enabled on Moodle so that you can contact each other.
There is also a Group Discussion Forum for discussion. Each group should choose a leader who will
upload their advertisement on Moodle.

STEPS:

1) Social Justice Issue Selection: select one pressing social justice issue in the Pacific that you want to raise
awareness on. You have to agree on this issue as a group.
2) Design a Cartoon (9%): Collaborate as a group (meet in person, or use chat and social media) to compose
a ONE page cartoon for a newspaper or magazine. Be creative! Use original drawings or draw on
images, comic bubbles or freely available comic strip templates on Google. Remember the main objective
is to raise awareness on a social justice issue. Beautiful images alone will not get you a high mark. The
ethical message must also be powerful. The group will have to agree on essential characteristics of an
“ethical cartoon”.

The ideas/message in your cartoon MUST BE ORIGINAL. DO NOT SIMPLY TAKE AN

EXISTING CARTOON/MESSAGE AND CHANGE THE WORDS TO MAKE IT LOOK
LIKE YOUR OWN. You will not get marks for this! AND DO NOT SHARE YOUR
CARTOON WITH MEMBERS FROM ANOTHER GROUP! If two cartoons are the same,
both groups will get ZERO. IF YOU USE IMAGES FROM OTHER SOURCES, YOU MUST
ACKNOWLEDGE THE SOURCE.

3) Ethical Justification for your Cartoon (6%): You must include a 1 page justification for your
advertisement that addresses these questions:
a) Why did your group choose this social justice issue? (100 words) 1 mark
b) How does your cartoon design and content uphold ethical standards? (100 words) 2 marks
c) Briefly analyse your cartoon using any two ethical theories (150 words) 2 marks
d) Include 3 references that you have consulted - to be referenced in Harvard Format 1 mark

Include the names and Id numbers of Group Members who have participated in the assessment on the justification
page. Those who have not contributed to the assessment will not get a mark.

Submit a draft of your advertisement and justification (PDF format) as ONE DOCUMENT on Moodle BEFORE
THE DUE DATE so you can view the turnitin report.

RSD FACETS TESTED IN GROUP ASSESSMENT: EMBARK AND CLARIFY, ANALYSE AND
SYNTHESISE, AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE AND REFLECT.

15
 CARTOON ON SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE (GROUP ASSESSMENT)
– MARKING RUBRIC (15%)

CARTOON DESIGN AND MESSAGE

ETHICAL MESSAGE Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor None COPIED
IN THE CARTOON Ethical message Ethical message Some aspects Ethical message Filled with Ethical
very clearly well presented of the ethical unclear & stereotypes & message
presented 1.5 marks message is confusing derogatory copied
2 marks clear 0.5 marks messages 0 marks
1 mark 0 marks
PRESENTATION OF Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor Very Poor COPIED
SOCIAL JUSTICE Issue is Issue is well Some aspects Presentation of Presentation Cartoon is
ISSUE convincingly presented of presentation
issue is of issue is copied
presented 1.5 marks are concerningdiscriminatory/ offensive 0 marks
2 marks 1 mark concerning 0 marks
0.5 marks
CREATIVITY, Excellent Very Good: Satisfactory Inadequate Poor VERY
DESIGN & Attractive, eye- Attractive, good Aspects are Not eye- Poorly POOR/
PRESENTATION catching, very use of Attractive, catching; presented; COPIED
good use of images/words; uses appropriate appropriate Very poorly
images/ nice design appropriate images/words images/words presented OR
words, fantastic images/words rarely used; not used; poor COPIED
design 1.5 marks sometimes; design quite design from another
2 marks design could be weak 0 marks source
improved 0.5 mark 0 marks
1 marks
ORIGINALITY Excellent Very Good: Satisfactory Inadequate COPIED SYNONYMS
Original ideas, Most of the Some ideas, Many of the Copied from Filled with
images & design ideas, images images & ideas, images & another source synonyms to
features & design design design features 0 marks hide true source
2 marks features are features are lack originality 0 marks
original original 0.5 marks
1.5 marks 1 mark
GRAMMAR, Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor Very Poor COPIED
PUNCTUATION, No errors, Few errors, Some errors, Many errors, Full of errors, Words are
WRITTEN follows w/limit follows w/limit above/below above/below above/below copied
EXPRESSION 1 mark 0.75 marks w/limit w/limit w/limit 0 marks
0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
ETHICAL JUSTIFICATION
CHOICE OF ISSUE Great Very Good Good Not very Poor COPIED
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks appropriate 0 marks 0 marks
0.25 marks
EXPLAINS HOW Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor None COPIED
THE CARTOON Ethical message Ethical message Adequate Ethical message Ethical Explanation
UPHOLDS ETHICAL very well well explained explanation poorly explained message not copied
STANDARDS explained 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks explained 0 marks
2 marks 0 marks
ANALYSIS USING 2 Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor No COPIED
THEORIES analysis using 2 analysis using 2 analysis using 2 analysis using 1 analysis using analysis
theories theories theories theory ethical theories 0 marks
2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks 0 marks
REFERENCES Excellent Very Good Satisfactory Poor None COPIED
Harvard Referencing 3 references; 2-3 references; 2 references; 1 reference; many listed References
correct format mostly correct some errors errors 0 marks copied
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
COMMENTS:

TOTAL MARK:

16
 ASSESSMENT 4 - RESEARCH ESSAY (25%)

Due date: Thursday 27th October, Week 10 (11.55pm)

Submission: Your essay MUST BE submitted on Moodle using Turnitin (ensure your name and Id number
is on the cover page of this document). It is a University requirement that students should submit all written
work through Turnitin via Moodle. This is done by uploading to the dropbox provided.

2.3 Mandatory use of Turnitin and similarity index software (a) Students are required to submit all
written work through Turnitin via Moodle online to check their work for originality and ensure that
appropriate referencing and citation is used. (USP Handbook & Calendar, 2022, p. 122)

Essay Length: 1500 words – this does not include references. Do not submit a plan or abstract. Essays
that are 10% above OR below the word limit will be penalised accordingly.

Objective: To conduct research on ethics and governance issues in national, regional and global arenas.

WARNING!!!
1) ESSAYS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN SUBMITTED USING TURNITIN WILL NOT BE
MARKED! YOU WILL GET A ZERO.
2) ESSAYS WITH EXTENSIVE USE OF SYNONYMS WILL GET A ZERO.
3) ESSAYS THAT USE ANY ONLINE PARAPHRASING TOOLS WILL BE AWARDED
ZERO.
4) ESSAYS THAT FAIL TO LIST ALL RESOURCES IN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY WILL BE
PENALIZED.
5) ESSAYS WITH MANY DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND IN-
TEXT REFERENCES WILL GET A ZERO.
6) IF YOU DO NOT UPLOAD THE BIBLIOGRAPHY WITH YOUR ESSAY, YOU WILL
GET A ZERO.
7) IF YOU TAMPER WITH THE PUNCTUATION TO REDUCE THE SIMILARITY
INDEX YOU WILL BE AWARDED ZERO.
8) IF YOU GIVE YOUR ESSAY, USB OR LAPTOP TO A FRIEND AND SHE/HE
UPLOADS YOUR ESSAY, BOTH OF YOU WILL BE AWARDED ZERO FOR
COLLUSION.
9) IF WE DETECT ANY PLAGIARISM IN YOUR ESSAY, (EVEN IF THE SI IS LOWER
THAN 20%) WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO AWARD YOU A ZERO.
10) IF YOU HAVE A VERY HIGH SI, YOU WILL BE AWARDED ZERO

The Similarity Index should be below 20% and all references used must be properly acknowledged.
Check the Similarity Index using turnitin PRIOR TO the final submission. Once the final version of
the essay has been submitted, you will not be given a chance to rework the essay! However, a low SI
does not mean that you have not plagiarised. If the essay is plagiarised, you will be graded according
to the extent of plagiarism.
Carefully read the Student Academic Integrity Regulations (page 120-124 of the 2022 Handbook and
Calendar).

17
RESEARCH ESSAY QUESTIONS

Choose ONE of the three questions listed below and write a 1500-word PERSUASIVE essay.

Read the question selected carefully and conduct extensive research on the topic. Your views should come
across clearly. Ensure that you conduct research prior to writing the essay. The essay requires you to
critically and theoretically engage with a topic and you must show evidence of research.

DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY BASED PURELY ON PERSONAL REFLECTION. You must include
a BIBLIOGRAPHY and IN-TEXT CITATIONS that match the sources listed in the bibliography.
Refer closely to the warnings on page 18 of the course outline.

Question 1: “Extreme heat is a killer… Every heatwave occurring today is made more likely and more intense
by human caused climate change” (https://theconversation.com/how-likely-would-britains-40-c-heatwave-have-
been-without-climate-change-187368).

As the world heats up around us, how should the people and governments of the Pacific respond to this crisis?
What is our moral obligation as global citizens? Refer to ethical interconnectedness, anthropocentrism, the
formula of humanity principle and two approaches of governance in your essay. You must support your
arguments with examples from the Pacific.

Question 2: “Proponents of legalizing recreational marijuana say it will add billions to the economy, create
hundreds of thousands of jobs, free up scarce police resources, and stop the huge racial disparities in marijuana
enforcement” (Britannica, ProCon.org)

At a time when the people of the Pacific are battling with hunger, widespread unemployment and the increasing
cost of living, should our governments take the necessary steps to legalize recreational marijuana use? Refer to the
cost/benefit principle, the greatest happiness factor, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two
approaches to governance in your essay. You must support your arguments with examples from the Pacific.

Question 3: “A restaurant is under the spotlight after it served a customer chicken soup that had maggots in it and
in another incident, served a customer a chicken wrap that had a dead cockroach in it”
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/food/restaurant-under-the-spotlight-for-violation/.

Critically evaluate the social and moral responsibility of food businesses using three examples from the Pacific
(including the one above). Make reference to the following in your essay: chrematiske, the golden mean, moral
autonomy and two principles of corporate governance.

IMPORTANT: THIS IS A PERSUASIVE ESSAY.

A persuasive (or argument essay) uses logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another.
Decide on your position in relation to one of the topics above and use examples and reason to demonstrate that
position throughout the essay.

DO NOT PRESENT BOTH SIDES OF THE ARGUMENT.

18
RESEARCH ESSAY FORMAT/CHECKLIST

1. INTRODUCTION: EMBARK, CLARIFY

 Have you selected one of the above topics?
 Have you defined/unpacked the keywords and theories?
 Have you stated the essay’s aims or purpose?

2. BODY: ANALYSE AND SYNTHESISE

 Have you addressed all the parts of the question?
 Have you presented original arguments using your own words?
 Is there evidence of analysis/synthesis using ethical theories?
 Is your personal stance clear in the essay?
 Do you cite examples from two Pacific Island countries?

3. CONCLUSION: CRITICALLY EVALUATE INFORMATION

 Have you summarised the main arguments in the conclusion?
 Have you restated and stressed your own view in the conclusion?

4. RESEARCH AND REFERENCES: FIND, GENERATE, ORGANISE AND MANAGE

 Have you conducted extensive research on the topic in the library?
 Have you conducted extensive research on the topic using online sources?
 Have you cited 10 credible in-text references within the essay? (Not Wikipedia)
 Have you listed 10 references in the bibliography (3 online, 7 book/journal)?
 Do the in-text citations and the bibliography match?
 Is the Harvard System used to prepare the bibliography and in-text references?

5. ACADEMIC STYLE: ORGANISE, MANAGE, COMMUNICATE AND APPLY

 Is your essay coherently structured? (Do the arguments flow well?)
 Have you used a formal/academic writing style?
 Is your essay free of spelling and grammatical errors? Have you proof-read it?

6. OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES THAT YOU NEED TO FOLLOW TO AVOID LOSING

MARKS:
 Is your essay 1,500 words in length? Marks will be deducted for essays 10% above/below the limit.
 Is the essay submitted on time? A penalty of 10% will be deducted for each day the essay is late.
 Have you submitted a draft of your essay using turn-it-in correctly?
 Are all sources correctly referenced within the essay?
 Is the Similarity Index below 20% (after you exclude quotes)?
 Have you shown your essay to another student or copied another student’s essay? This is called
collusion (see USP Handbook and Calendar). If two or more essays are similar, both students will be
awarded 0.
 Is your essay uploaded on Moodle using MSWord format? PDF copies will not be marked.

PRIMARY RSD FACETS TESTED IN THE ESSAY: EMBARK & CLARIFY, ANALYSE &
SYNTHESISE, CRITICALLY EVALUATE, FIND, GENERATE, ORGANISE & MANAGE,
COMMUNICATE AND APPLY.

19
 RESEARCH ESSAY MARKING RUBRIC

PART OF ESSAY MARKS ALLOCATED

1. INTRODUCTION
States intent/purpose Fully Very Well Partially Poorly Not at all
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Defines key terms and Fully Very Well Well Adequately Partially Vaguely Poorly Not at all
Theories 2 marks 1.75 marks 1.5 marks 1.25 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
2. BODY
Addresses question Fully Very Well Partially Poorly Not at all
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Presents original Always Mostly Often Sometimes Occasionally Hardly Copied
Arguments 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks work
0 marks
Evidence of analysis Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Vague Poor No analysis
using ethical theories 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks 0 marks
Demonstrates critical Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Vague Poor No critical
thinking 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks 1 mark 0.5 marks thinking
0 marks
Cites relevant regional Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Few Few Does not
examples and global 3 marks 2.5 marks 2 marks 1.5 marks examples examples Include any
examples where 1 mark without examples
appropriate references 0 marks
0.5 marks
3. CONCLUSION
Summarises main Fully Very Well Partially Poorly Not at all
Arguments 1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Restates own view Fully Very Well Partially Poorly Not at all
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
4. RESEARCH &
REFERENCES
Cites 10 credible Cites 10 Cites 6-9 Cites 5 or Cites 3 or Does not
in-text sources sources below below cite any
References 1 mark 0.75 marks sources sources sources
0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Lists 10 references in the Lists 10 Lists 6-9 Lists 5 or Lists 3 or Does not
Bibliography references references below below list any
1 mark 0.75 marks references references references
0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Use of Harvard Excellent Very Good Good Satisfactory Some errors Many Poor In-text
system for 2 marks 1.75 marks 1.5 marks 1.25 marks 1 mark errors 0.25 marks and bib
bibliography 0.5 marks don’t
and references match
0 mark
5. ACADEMIC STYLE
Essay structure Always Mostly Sometimes Lacks Not coherent
coherent coherent coherent Coherence at all
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Formal writing style Always Mostly Sometimes Hardly Not used
used used Used used at all
1 mark 0.75 marks 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
Spelling and Errors Few errors Some Many Filled with
Grammatical absent 0.75 marks errors errors errors
Errors 1 mark 0.5 marks 0.25 marks 0 marks
COMMENTS

FINAL MARK:

20
 ASSESSMENT 5 – FINAL ASSESSMENT (25%)

Due date: Thursday 17th November 2022, 11.55pm

Submission: Your final assessment MUST BE submitted on Moodle using turnitin (ensure your name and
Id number is on the cover page of this document).

Objective: To apply ethical decision-making to a variety of real-life situations

Instructions: This assignment is divided into two parts.

PART A – ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING MODEL (15%)

1. In one paragraph (about 300-400 words), describe an ethical dilemma that you have
experienced. You must present an original dilemma, not one copied from the internet with
different names. Remember, a dilemma involves making a moral choice between two or more
alternatives (5 marks).
2. Draw an Ethical Decision-Making Model to illustrate the dilemma above. Your model should
include: a statement of the dilemma in one sentence; one response using situation ethics and
another response using the ethics of care theory; and your ethical resolution (10 marks).
NOTE: Save your dilemma as a word or PDF document. You can present the dilemma creatively.
There isn’t one format to follow for the dilemma, As long as part 2 is a DIAGRAM, this is fine.
Use boxes to place your ideas within – like a flow chart.

PART B – PERSONAL REFLECTION (10%)

Write an 800-1000 word personal reflection post that addresses the following questions:
a) Choose the one ethical theory that you identify with the most and explain why it is important.
b) Comment on how an understanding of this same theory changed your own views and
behaviour?
c) Based on what you have learnt in the course, what ethical message would you like to share
with the people of your country and the world as we continue to battle with this pandemic?

WARNING:
1. YOU MUST SUBMIT PART A AND B VIA TURNIITIN ON MOODLE. Do this by uploading
them into the dropbox provided on Moodle.
2. Dilemmas and Personal Reflections with high Similarity Indexes will be awarded ZERO.
3. Do not share your dilemma or reflection with your friend!
4. Do not cut and paste a dilemma from an online website and submit it as your own.
5. Do not use synonyms to disguise another dilemma or reflection and present it as your own.

RSD FACETS TESTED IN THE FINAL ASSESSMENT: EMBARK AND CLARIFY, ANALYSE
AND SYNTHESISE, AND CRITICALLY EVALUATE AND REFLECT.

21
 PART A: Ethical Decision-Making Marking Rubric (15%)

PARTS COMMENTS AND MARKS

1 Excellent: Very Good: Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very poor:

Explains the presents an presents a presents an presents aspects Presents Fails to present
dilemma in excellent very good interesting of a dilemma aspects of a an original
300-400 words dilemma that dilemma dilemma; adequately; dilemma dilemma or
is well written that is well needs to needs to poorly; with presents
(5 marks) written improve the improve the too many copied work
(4 marks) writing writing grammatical (0 marks)
(3 marks) (2 marks) errors
(1 mark)
2 Excellent: Very Good: Good: Satisfactory: Very Poor: Copied:
Ethical the model the model the model the model the model fails presents a
Decision- highlights the highlights highlights the highlights the to highlight the plagiarized
Making Model dilemma very the dilemma dilemma well dilemma dilemma using dilemma or
– Theoretical well and well and and makes adequately and any theories uses synonyms
Analysis refers to the makes some some reference makes brief (1 marks) to disguise
theories reference to to the theories reference to the another
(5 marks) the theories (3 marks) theories person’s
(4 marks) (2 mark) dilemma
(0 marks)
3 Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very Poor: Copied:
Ethical provides an provides a provides an inadequate fails to offer presents a
Decision- excellent very good adequate resolution; fails an ethical plagiarized
Making Model resolution; resolution; resolution; to refer to one resolution; resolution or
- Resolution makes makes makes brief ethical theory does not refer uses synonyms
reference to reference to reference to (0.5 marks) to any theories to disguise
one ethical one ethical one ethical (0 marks) another
theory theory theory person’s
(3 marks) (2 marks) (1 marks) resolution
(0 marks)

4 Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Copied:

Originality & Original mostly some original Lacks not an original
Presentation work, very original ideas, originality, poor dilemma, very
of Dilemma well work, well satisfactory presentation poor
presented presented presentation (0.5 marks) presentation
(2 marks) (1.5 marks) (1 mark) (0 marks)

FINAL
COMMENTS

22
 PART B: Personal Reflection Marking Rubric (10%)

COMMENTS AND MARKS

QUESTION 1 Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very Poor:

Choose one theory thoroughly explains why explains why the Attempts to Fails to explain
and explains why it explains why the principle principle chosen explain why the why the principle
is important the principle chosen is is important to principle chosen chosen is
chosen is important to them adequately is important but important or
important to them very well but more depth quite poorly; a presents a
them (1.5 marks) required lot more depth plagiarized post
(2 marks) (1 marks) required (0 marks)
(0.5 marks)

QUESTION 2 Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very Poor:

Explains how the thoroughly explains how explains how the attempts to fails to explain
theory has explains how the theory has theory has explain how the how the theory
changed their the theory has changed their changed their theory has has changed their
behaviour changed their behaviour very behaviour changed their behaviour or
behaviour well adequately but behavior but presents a
(4 marks) (3 marks) more depth quite poorly; a plagiarized post
required lot more depth (0 marks)
(2 marks) required
(1 marks)

QUESTION 3 Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very Poor:

Ethical Message to Presents a presents a very presents a fails to present fails to present an
the people of your powerful good ethical satisfactory an ethical ethical message or
country and the ethical message ethical message message that is presents a
world message (1.5 marks) but more original and plagiarized post
(2 marks) reflection required convincing (0 marks)
(1 marks) (0.5 marks)

PRESENTATION Excellent: Very Good: Satisfactory: Poor: Very Poor:

OF POST very well well presented; adequately poorly presented; very poorly
presented; a few spelling presented; some many spelling presented; filled
without and spelling and and grammatical with spelling and
spelling and grammatical grammatical errors grammatical
grammatical errors errors (0.5 marks) errors
errors (1.5 marks) (1 marks) (0 marks)
(2 marks)

FINAL
COMMENTS

23
16.1 Grading System
(a) The following grading system will be used by all Academic Units in awarding final grades for
academic performance in a course:

GRADE PERCENTAGE (%) DISTRIBUTION

A+ 85+ Pass with Distinction
A 78-84 Pass with Distinction
B+ 71-77 Pass with Credit
B 64-70 Pass with Credit
C+ 57-63 Pass
C 50-56 Pass
D 40-49 Work below the standard required for a pass. This grade will
also be awarded for failure to meet course minimum
requirement
E 0-39 (less than) Very weak performance or failure to complete to the
satisfaction of the examiner such practical, field or other work
as may be prescribed

Refer to pages 113-114 of the USP Handbook and Calendar (2022).

16.2 ASSESSMENT POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

For detailed regulations relating to Academic misconduct (for example, plagiarism, collusion and
cheating), please refer to the “Student Academic Integrity Regulations” from page 120 to 124 of the
2022 USP Handbook and Calendar.

“Plagiarism is the copying of another person’s creative work and using it as one’s own, without
explicitly giving credit to the original creator. Work copied without acknowledgement from any written
source including a book, from another student’s work, from the internet or from any other source, is
plagiarism” (USP Handbook and Calendar, 2022, p. 120)

“Cheating involves acting in any way that directly contradicts the explicit rules and guiding principles
of that form of assessment. It applies in any form of examination including short tests, quizzes and final
examinations” (USP Handbook and Calendar, 2022, p. 121).

“Collusion includes: (i) Submission of a paper that has been written by an author other than the author
credited for that piece of writing. This includes the use of paid services of a student, or any other person
who has been solicited for that purpose. (ii) Facilitating or enabling another student to plagiarise or
cheat in any way” (USP Handbook and Calendar, 2022, p. 121).

“When a marker suspects a student of plagiarism or collusion, the piece of academic work must be
brought to the attention of the Course Coordinator concerned. The Course Coordinator will endeavour
to locate the sources from which this student has plagiarised or colluded. If satisfied that the student has
plagiarised, the Course Coordinator will collate the evidence of the breach and submit the evidence at
the earliest opportunity to the Head of the Academic Unit” (USP Handbook and Calendar, 2022, p. 121-
122).

24
16.3 IMPORTANT DATES

Activity Week Date/Fiji Time (GMT+12) Weighting (%)

Thursday, 8th September
Short Quiz 4 any 20 minute slot from 6am-10pm, ONLINE 10%
Thursday, 22nd September,
Mid-Semester Test 6 Any 100 minute slot from 6am – 9pm, ONLINE 25%
Thursday, 13th October,
Social Justice Cartoon 8 due before 11.55pm on Moodle 15%
th
Thursday, 27 October,
Essay 10 due before 11.55pm on Moodle 25%
th
Thursday, 17 November,
Final Assessment 13 due before 11.55pm on Moodle 25%

17.0 STUDENT SUPPORT

Please consult your online facilitator during their virtual consultation hours if you have any queries
regarding the course or assessments. If you have an urgent/serious query, you may consult one of the
course coordinators during their virtual contact hours.

17.1 ONLINE HELP & e-Learning INFORMATION

If you need assistance with Moodle or uploading your essay, contact your facilitator. Your query will
then be forwarded to a CFL staff member.

17.2 STUDENT LEARNING SUPPORT (SLS) SERVICES

You will see an SLS section on the UU200 Moodle page. All the details of SLS contact staff and peer
mentors will be uploaded in this section. SLS will also inform students of the dates of essay writing
workshops.

18.0 EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS

18.1 STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Students are expected to:
* Spend adequate time on Moodle to complete the readings and other activities required for the course
* View lectures on Moodle weekly.
* Participate in the Meeting Areas (Step 3)
* Work with team members in your own time on the group assessment.
* Inform online facilitator or the course coordinator if you are sick and unable to submit an assessment
at the earliest possible time to avoid getting zero.

25
18.2 STUDENT WORKLOAD

TYPE HOURS COMMENTS

Online Lectures/Tutorials 2-3 hrs per View the recorded lecture or the lecture capture every
week week.
Readings and Meeting Area 2-3 hrs per Complete all the compulsory readings each week. If
Discussions week you have time, also attempt some of the additional
readings. Complete Step 3 weekly.
Assessment Preparation 2-3 hrs per If you begin working on your assessments consistently
week throughout the semester, you will not rush through
them at the last minute.
TOTAL 6-9 hrs per *NB. These are estimated hours. Some students may
week need 6 hours a week to complete the tasks, others will
require 10 hours.

19.0 POLICY FOR LATE ASSIGNMENTS

The policy for late assignments is to deduct a penalty of 10% per day. Assignments received more than
ONE week after the due date will not be marked.

20.0 AVAILABILITY OF MARKS THROUGH MARK SHEET

The Mark sheet/Grade book on MOODLE will be updated after each assessment so that students
can keep track of their performance throughout the semester. Your final assessment mark will not
be uploaded on Moodle. You will receive your grade at the end of the course.

21.0 RECONSIDERATION OF COURSE GRADES

If you are unhappy with your final grade, you may apply for a rechecking of grade via SAS.
Please contact SAS for more information about this process.

“Students may have their grade for any course reconsidered, normally by a lecturer other than the
original marker, or where this is not practicable, by the Head of the relevant Academic Unit”. (USP
Handbook and Calendar, 2022, p.116)

22.0 ACADEMIC HONESTY AND MANDATORY USE OF TURNITIN

Students are required to submit all written work in appropriate format (not pdf) through Turnitin via
Moodle on line to check their work for originality and to ensure that appropriate referencing and citation
is used. Students are actively encouraged to use Turnitin to check drafts of their written work to improve
their writing and guard against unintentional plagiarism. All Turnitin reports will be reviewed. A score
of 20% or more will trigger discussion between course coordinator and student with consequences if
plagiarism is proven.

22.0 DISHONEST PRACTICES

The University of the South Pacific has a “zero tolerance” policy for all students who commit dishonest
practices during the course of their university study. Students who are found guilty of copying, plagiarizing,

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colluding, etc. in terms of assignments and tests will be awarded a “0” grade and the case will be referred
to the Student Disciplinary Committee for disciplinary action. Please fill in, sign and attach the text of the
declaration form below to all your written assignments.

Student plagiarism cover sheet

Statement of originality
Course: ………………………………………………………………………………
Item of assessment attached here: ………………………………….......................
Student name: ……………………………………………….....................................
Student No: …………………………………………………………………………..
Campus: ……………………………………………………………………………...
I have read and understood The University of the South Pacific’s policy on academic misconduct and
plagiarism. I am aware of the following:
The view taken by the Head of the School of Law and Social Sciences is that failure to acknowledge or
inadequate acknowledging the work of another will result in a student receiving an official written warning
and a mark of 0 for that piece of work.
If the plagiarism case is regarded by the Head of School/Department as substantial (for example a
significant failure to acknowledge a source) it will be forwarded to the Student Development Committee of
Senate (the Discipline Committee).
I confirm that the work contained in the attached item of assessment is entirely my own work except where
I have specifically acknowledged another’s work and the source of that other’s work.

Signature: ………………………………

Please note submission of this declaration is a requirement for all pieces of written coursework assessment
and marks may be withheld for failure to submit a completed declaration.

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